Garmin 910 heart rate monitor problems

Does it look like this: Garmin Connect

I have been seeing this lately and attribute it the strap not being in great contact. I use ultrasound gel, and had not had any problems for 6+ months. About a month ago, this started and I have tried several different things. For my last ride, I thoroughly wet the strap and then added the gel. It seemed to fix it.

Everyone just guesses...call garmin, their CS is great.

Phone Numbers

US: 913-397-8200
US Toll Free: 1-800-800-1020
Canada: 1-866-429-9296

+1.  I was having issues synching my 910 with Garmin Connect over the Holidays.  I called their customer service and they stayed on the phone with me for over an hour until it was fixed.  They're awesome

Before you call Garmin Customer Service, do two things.

1. Make sure the chest strap is snug.
2. Moisturize your skin and wet the strap before you put it on.

This time of year the air and our skin tends to be drier making it a little more challenging to get good contact for a good signal.

Since you've only had it a month, it's unlikely that it's the battery in the chest strap, but that's always a remote possibility too.

I experienced the OPs issue after using the watch for a year.  Thought I had fixed it by soaking strap only in a dishsoap solution overnight.  Then other day after about 75 minutes on the treadmill I began to get really screwy readings.  There is a legitimate spike where I sped up hoping to get the HR reading to quit jumping around but that clearly didn't work.  I have read on line the possibility of if you are very sweaty the mositure may be causing a kind of short in the readings.  That would seem plausible given I was on a treadmill and sweating like a pig.  I am considering replacing the strap with a Wahoo Fitness ANT+ strap.  With that in mind does anyone have experience with their product and for those who have contacted Garmin any luck getting them to just give you a new one?

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/277007553

I started getting the low readings about 5 - 6 months after getting my 910 (70 BPM during a hard run). I tried some of the suggestions on the site, but it didn't fix anything. Garmin sent me a replacement. It's working pretty well, but now I sometimes get abnormally high readings for part of the workout. I think I need to to try that electrode gel.

I've found that the licking my fingers and wetting the strap does the same job as the electrode/ultra-sound gel. 

Also, wearing a technical shirt that rubs on the strap can cause static which makes the HR to jump up (usually), but I've had mine drop under the same circumstances. 

I've also had success washing the strap and transmitter in plain water. If you sweat a lot this may help.

So here's what I'd suggest:

First - remove technical shirt (or wear a tight lower layer) and wet the electrodes. Try it once.

Second - wash strap in water or water with soap, try it again. 

If those don't work, call Garmin and ask for a replacement strap since you've taken care of the most likely causes. Never had to do this, but it does look like other folks have. :-)

I use electrode gel and still have issues either with sky high HR at beginning of run or later in run dropping HR.  I was running along at a steady 145ish HR and watched my monitor decline over 30 seconds to a 50 bpm reading at the same pace. 

I used electrode gel and everything.  Looks like it's time to try replacing the battery.  Or visit my cardiologist . . .